As I write this story out, I am overwhelmed with emotion and have the urge to cry the happiest tears. It has been 6 days of magic with our baby bear, and we are enjoying every second, minute and hour with this new life Brad and I have created. Lucas Oliver made his way into the world on June 3rd, 2014 at 10:17am. Weighing in at 6lbs 5oz of pure beauty. His entry into the world was one of the most breathtaking, scariest experiences of my life.
It was monday night, I had just posted a blog post about all things I had been doing since i was pregnant, I was telling Brad how i was going to repack my hospital bag after the midwife had been the next day and planning everything else i needed to prepare. I was booked in for an elective C-section on the 20th and with the new results of pre-eclampsia, I had thought they may have bought it forward, but it was very unlikely. Obviously it all came down to how bad the pre-eclampsia got. I was sat discussing my shopping plans this included buying a waterproof mascara, for when i cried after he was born and hair dye for dying my hair before the section, to banish my awful roots, as I knew after the C-section I wouldn’t get a chance to dye it until i was recovered. We then decided to put on the breastfeeding DVD, the midwife had lent me, as I had forgotten to watch it and knew she wanted it back the next day.
We were attempting an early night as I knew the midwife was due to come round early and i needed to shower before she came. It was getting later and i felt really achy in the lower part of my stomach but was ignoring it as it wasn’t unusual for me to be crampy, I felt sick and had a headache anyway and just put it all down to lack of sleep. We settled down about midnight, I woke up at 1:15am for my usual wee, then again at 2:35am, I settle myself back into bed and felt a really odd trickle, I stood up in a panic and my waters gushed onto the bedroom floor. I yelled for Brad to wake up and he knew exactly what had happened from the sound of Niagara falls hitting the floor. I ran to the toilet and rang my mum to tell her, I hadn’t even processed the fact I hadn’t rang labour ward yet. Brad rang Labour ward and then they spoke to me and told me to come straight in. I rang my dad for a lift, he was very sleepy and we agreed 30 minutes so i could pack the last bits. I jumped into the shower and washed my body, I was desperate to wash my hair, as it needed it, but knew there wasn’t enough time. [Thank god for dry shampoo] We rushed round throwing everything we could think of that we needed into the bag and attempted to get dressed without looking like i’d wet myself!
We arrived at Labour ward at 3:45, My waters decided to gush again stood at the reception desk, We were taken to room 4 and introduced to the night midwife, who was lovely, and had it confirmed my waters had 100% gone. The doctor came in around 4:30 and did an ultrasound and confirmed he was still breech and they were going to do the C-section that day as they didn’t want me to start contracting. I signed all the paperwork and she explained I was category 3 and would hopefully be operated on in the morning, but could be later as i wasn’t classed as an emergency unless I started contracting every couple of minutes. The anaesthetist came in at 5:30 and explained everything that was going to happen, the risks, the process, ect.. He then put in a canular ready for my drip and left. I got into my gown and was basically prepped enough for surgery. I went for some air at around 6:30 and to try to get my head around everything and wait for my mum to turn up. She arrived at 7am and as her taxi pulled up, The most coincidental thing happened and I had my first contraction. [Lucas knew nanna was here and everything was going to be okay] We went back inside, and was introduced to the day midwives and I was hooked up to the sonitaid and monitored, I was having regular, painful contractions but not enough to bring forward the C-section. I went off to the toilet with my mum at around 9am and as I waddled back into the room, It was filled with doctors, surgeons, anaesthetists and midwives, she once again talked me through everything and then dropped a bombshell, as Lucas was under 37 weeks, his lungs could possibly not be formed enough and they may have to take him straight to neonatal, and they were going to have the baby doctors in the operating theatre just in case. This meant Brad and my mum could go down and see him, but I couldn’t until they had finished whatever they may need to do and until i was well enough to have my bed bought down there, then they told me they were coming back for me in 5 minutes. Brad was given scrubs and I got all prepared and was whisked away.
It was really scary in the operating theatre, Brad wasn’t allowed in, I was naked and having needles stabbed in my back, and a catheter inserted. I also had all these thoughts running around in my head and the thought i may not be able to see my baby or something worse may happen. They then started injecting and fussing all around me. After the spinal was done my blood pressure dropped and i was attempting to throw up but could’t, which then just made me really emotional and frightened, Brad then came in and and held my hand and whispered reassuring words into my ear, and I could no longer hold back the tears. I was overwhelmed, frightened and felt unwell. I hadn’t even realised they had started cutting me open, until they said “come on little one, whatever you’re holding onto in there, you need to let go” He didn’t want to come out apparently. The next thing i knew at 10:17am they lifted my baby above the curtain and said “he’s most certainly a boy” I burst into tears again and then I heard his cry, 36weeks+4days, premature and completely kicking ass, and that was it i was a blubbering mess. The anaesthetist said “you’re going to have a little parcel in a minute” I then asked if he was going to neonatal and she said no and i felt such a sense of relief. She bought him over and said i couldn’t hold him as my blood pressure kept dropping and they thought I was going to throw up. I was staring at him and the first thing I said was “is he really mine” It was just so overwhelming. Brad got the first hold as they stitched me all up, 20 minutes before end of surgery they took Brad back to labour ward, where my mum was waiting. They then finished surgery and I was taken to labour ward, they took Lucas off to be weighed and for his vitamin K jab and then they handed him to me for my first hold. It was literally magical, I then got a chance to breastfeed and he latched on so easily.
I always thought I was born to be a mummy, and now I am one, i realise how true this is. Motherhood is incredible, and a journey I am so blessed to be taking. Lucas is perfect, beautiful and has bought so much joy into our lives and has stolen the hearts of mummy and daddy and all his family. The love we have is indescribable and we are the luckiest people on the planet to be blessed with Lucas and to finally be a little family.
Thank you all for your support, congratulations and kind words - It means the world to us and we cannot thank you enough! - Nicole, Brad & Lucas xx